Panoramic view of a Quartzsite sunset from the top of the motorhome.

Quartzsite is located in western Arizona, just 20 miles east of the Colorado River. This town of 1,900 plays host to more than a million people a year, most during January and February. At this time of year, 2,000 vendors of rocks and gems and everything else imagineable create one of the world's largest open air flea markets. In addition to vendors of all kinds of merchandise who peddle their wares in swap meets all over town, during the last week of January there is a huge tent filled with vendors of mostly RV-related merchandise. There are also many promoters of RV resorts from a lot of different states. Finally, there are hundreds of  recreational vehicles  brought in by several large dealers in the southwest. How they get them all there, though, is a mystery.

Although we had extensively researched Quartzsite, where it is reported that 250,000 RVs converge on the town and adjacent desert, you just really have to see it to believe it. As we approached the exit on I-10, Quartzsite and the surrounding desert were already peppered with RVs for as far as they eye could see.

We wanted to be in Quartzsite during the Sports Vacation and RV Show the last week of January. We arrived late Thursday morning with full water and propane tanks and empty grey and black water tanks. We planned to stay with the Escapee Boomers' group on BLM land. This area of desert allows 14 days of free camping but without any hook-ups. It's called boondocking or dry camping. However, finding your group in the desert requires that you recognize the signs.

We loved our location in Scaddan Wash because we were close to the mountains and they were beautiful as they changed color throughout the day with the sun.

We were also high enough to see the town in the distance. (That's one of the things we've noticed about the west. In many places it is so flat...you get a great view of the horizon but no view of the area right around you.)

The show itself was fun but in some ways disappointing. To be sure, there were no bargains in products OR fair fare. (A smoked turkey leg was more expensive than the ones in Disney World!) There was every product imagineable for your RV and then some but no appreciable show discounts. The one thing we would save with a purchase was paying double shipping since we have to have everything forwarded by our mail service.

There was one item we have been considering for some time, and we did purchase it. The Campfire in a Can is a great alternative to having to carry or purchase firewood. Additionally, many places are so dry that campfires are prohibited. However, the propane version should pass muster since gas grills are allowed. On top of all that, It's lighter weight than the firewood and kindling we were carrying.

We also took some time to explore the area around Quartzsite. We were surprised to see these hay fields with desert mountains in the background.

We noticed as we traveled from Phoenix to Quartzsite, that there were a lot of dairy farms, but different than we're used to seeing in the east. Instead of grazing in pastures, the dairy farms keep the cows in feedlots where they are fed from large bales of hay. We saw many 18 wheelers on the interstate piled high with hay bales. Now we know where the hay was being grown. We passed many fields being worked by CRIT Farms. We learned that CRIT stands for Colorado River Indian Tribes. The 3,500 active Tribal members include the Navajo, Hopi, Mohave, and Chemehuevi Tribes. Through their innovative approach to agriculture, they successfully farm 15,000 acres of alfalfa, cotton, and duram wheat among other things. They have become adept at growing different crops in different seasons. They work fields that look sunken with dirt walls around them. This, in fact, is part of their irrigation system. Between fields there are canals with water drawn from the Colorado River.

Quartzsite is also the location of an interesting sidelight of Arizona history. In the mid 1800's, Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War at the time, approved a plan to experiment with camels for freighting and communication. The desert became home to 74 camels and their caretaker, Haiji Ali, whose Arabic name was promptly changed to "Hi Jolly" by the soldiers. Although the camels proved their worth, the experiment was abandoned because they scared the burros, mules and horses. Hi Jolly remained in the United States and is buried  in the Quartzsite cemetery.

To experience Quartzsite is to see an eclectic mix of people, recreational vehicles, vendors, and lifestyles. Check out Photo Album 012: Quartzsite for more pictures of  our interesting encounters.

After nine days of "roughing it," we were ready for some hook-ups... electric blankets at night would be especially appreciated in those 30+ degree nights. Additionally, Margery began having a reaction to all the dust and was having trouble breathing. Off-road vehicles are a BIG thing in the desert and there is a lot of dust pollution generated by them as well as from the road traffic. We discovered there are a lot of dirt roads in the desert! In many cases, just the main roads are paved.

So what's our verdict on Quartzsite? We are definitely glad we experienced it, but a visit every year is not a necessity for us. There are many people who full-time with dry camping as their norm. Some people camp in the desert from September - April for just $130 for the season. This would not be possible without the installation of solar panels on your rig to charge your batteries and more than two batteries which come with the rig.

We enjoyed desert camping and look forward to trying it in more solitude, but we're thinking 5-7 days are enough even though we could probably make it 10. We likened dry camping to the weekend camping we did for so many years...fun for a time, but it's nice to go home to the conveniences. As our motorhome manufacturer so aptly says on each one they built...we're "roughing it smoothly." :)

We left Quartzsite and headed south to Yuma on our quest for suitable snowbird roosts.